The present invention relates generally to a rotary actuator and, more particularly, to a fluid-operated or hydraulic rotary actuator for integration into a mechanical component or system.
One field or application wherein the present inventive rotary actuator is particularly adapted is in the design of articulated robots for industrial use. Rotary power transmission equipment such as actuators and motors have been used to provide the primary component of a joint in these articulated robots. Conventional equipment used in these applications include rotary vane actuators, planetary helical rotary actuators, axial vane motors, rack and pinion rotary actuators, radial piston hydraulic motors, and a variety of hydraulic motor driven gear box combinations. In many applications, it is desirable for such equipment to be compact in size, lightweight, responsive, and capable of achieving precision rotary motion control. Since fluid-powered (e.g., hydraulic) rotary actuators may be designed to feature physical and operational attributes which are consistent with these desirable aspects, such actuators are often preferred to electric motors.